What Are Website Templates and Where to Get Them

A web template is the means to mass-produce web pages through a pre-defined schematic or layout which you can customize. These templates are created by web designers and sold to multiple users for profits. Templates are available in various types ranging from formula based electronic calculator to a web design. These templates can be used readily with slight modifications by the user. Web templates are similar to any other website that allows the inclusion of text, audio, video and various other applications with it.

A web designer uses certain strategies to make the web templates more visible to the user using the internet. A web template is an element of a web design system. A web design system works on three functional levels and the principles to execute these functions are pre-defined.

The main principles or functions are as follows:

1. A web design system focuses on reducing development time.

2. Web design systems helps in reducing the building cost of an effective website and thus making online presences cheaper.

3. A good web design system makes sure that a webmaster or the owner of the site spends minimal time in maintaining it.

Web templates are created keeping the above three requirements in mind. A web design system helps you produce a number of duplicates in a short span of time. Similarly, many web pages and websites can be developed at lower costs using pre-designed web templates.

A web template is created using some programming instructions. You do not have to equip with any programming or web designing knowledeg in order to modify the template. Every website needs these instructions or guidelines. As mentioned before, web templates are created as a result of some requirements. These same requirements become guidelines while creating a web template. It is very imperative for a webmaster to know that business logic value and the presentation logic value of a master template are two different things.

Once you create a master template it can be used to produce duplicates and thus make profits. A web template has certain amount of inheritance value attached to it. But here inheritance does not mean repetition. It means that when a duplicate is created from the master template only the functions are carried forward and not the design. For example, we use multiple e-mail accounts listed with multiple service providers. These service providers have similar functions but different layouts and designs for their website.

A template should be created in such a manner that it is flexible for use. Most of the clients require that the look and feel of the website be changed while retaining the content. This can be accomplished only when the web template has a flexible design and interface. A template should be such that if you want to re-design it, the process should be really simple. Another important point to be considered is that the template should be able to be re-used and reproduced. Even a novice should be able to use a web template. Till now, we have discussed the science behind creating a web template. Now, let us discuss the practical uses of a web template.

Practical use of a web template:

A web template is nothing but a pre-designed web page used for building websites. You may ask why we use these web templates considering the fact that a web template may be used by various users for building their websites. The reason behind the concept of creating web templates is the growing demand for websites these days. The web templates reduce the development time when compared to developing a site from scratch. Making optimum use of the time is very important when the requirement is high and if you want to reduce the turnaround time. The success of the internet businesses depend on how fast the information is conveyed. Thus the need to develop pages at a faster pace.

Templates help you create websites in a jiffy. Whats more you can customize it suiting your requirements. For example, if you want to add your own logo, optimize the HTML code, experiment with the "Meta Tags!" or copy paste the content into the layout area it can be down with little or no assistance. To do all of this, you do not have to learn any complex programming language or designing tool.

Web Template Resources:

You may have come across various web templates on the internet. These templates are made available for free or for a minimal price. Templates are available in various categories to choose from. You can choose the one which suits your requirement. You may want to choose something which has aesthetically done up or something which has many features and functions on it.

The tool used for creating websites called the Dreamweaver or the Frontpage comes with some basic web templates in the package. The templates gives you the advantage of reusing them again and again. Once you download a template you may need to place the owner's link on the main page of your website; though it is not compulsory that you use the template in its original state.

Sometimes you may find it difficult to get the template of your choice. Then, what you should do is select a template which comes closest to your requirements and then customize it. You can change practically anything in the web template - be it the design or the color combination's or the layout. It may be recollected that you do not require a course in web designing to get started with building your own website. As mentioned earlier these web templates are sold under various categories.

Some of the categories under which templates are more commonly sold are:

1. Website Templates
2. Flash Templates
3. Flash Intro Templates
4. osCommerce Templates
5. Corporate Logo Templates
6. Corporate Identity Templates
7. Various Blog and Content Management System Templates

Three Web Template Purchase categories:

Majority of the websites which sell web templates sell them under three categories. These three "Template Purchase Categories" are listed below.

Free Templates: These templates can be downloaded for free but you need to retain the owner's link on the main page of the website. You can customize these templates the way you want without any restrictions.

Premium/Paid for Templates: Such template offer more variety and are limitless. These templates are created by a group of web designers. The website owners retain the re-seller rights which enable them to sell the same template many times and as a result sell them at extremely low prices. For Premium/Paid for Templates you do not need to keep any links on your website.

Buying a web template in this category is the best option as you can customize it in the best possible way fulfilling most of your requirements. Most of all these templates do not cost a fortune.

Unique/Exclusive Templates: These template come with a double advantage. Once you buy this template you become the sole owner of the template having complete reseller rights over it. The design once bought by you is not sold to any other.

Web templates can be compared to pre-cooked foods which you can prepare in no time and relish. Web templates are a low cost solution to building creative and effective websites in a short time.